§ Mr. JOHN O'CONNORasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if any steps are to be taken to produce more wheat, oats, potatoes, turnips, mangels, and beetroot in the year 1617 than were produced in the year 1915–16; will he state whether there was any decrease in the production of such crops this year as compared with last year, and, if so, what were the amounts 223W of such decrease and the corresponding acreage thrown out of cultivation; and, if any, can he state the cause of such decrease?
§ Mr. T. W. RUSSELLThe Department, through their agricultural inspectors and instructors, are already doing all in their power to get farmers to produce more food for man and beast. As stated in a reply given on 1st instant to the hon. Member for West Meath, the total decrease in the tillage area in Ireland this season, as compared with last year is less than .2 per cent.; but it must be borne in mind that last year (1915) there was an increase of 3.3 per cent. as compared with the year 1914. The high price of cattle and risks of a fall in the prices of crops are the main causes why the area under tillage did not advance upon the increase shown in 1915. The Department are not in a position at present to state what will be the total production during the present year of the crops mentioned in the question. The areas under these crops in the years 1915 and 1916 are as follows:
Crop. 1915. 1916 Decrease. Acres. Acres. Wheat 86,530 76,438 10,092 Oats 1,088,654 1,071,593 17,071 Potatoes 594,467 586,308 8,159 Turnips 265,122 262,814 2,308 Star Mangels and Beetroot* 82,728 80,464 2,264 * Returns are not obtained separately for Beetroot.